Johnny Depp’s brother to publish debut novel

Daniel P Depp, the half brother of actor Johnny Depp, is to publish a debut novel set in Hollywood.

The novel, Loser's Town, is set to attract far more attention than the average crime thriller from a first-time author.

The revelation of the writer's connection to the world famous actor prompted a bidding war for the book in the US.

The British rights have been bought by Simon and Schuster, with publishers in Canada, Hungary and France also acquiring the title.

Loser's Town is to be published in spring 2009, with sequels already planned. The novel is said to involve a blackmail plot by a fictitious gangster who seeks to coerce a famous actor to appear in the film he wants to make.

The writer's inside knowledge of Hollywood and its underworld has enhanced interest in the content of the book.

His agent Meg Davis of MBA literary agents was initially unimpressed by the email she received from a writer who mentioned that he had a famous brother.

"I thought he was a nutcase but I wrote back saying our website says we'll read scripts, and I didn't care who his brother was," said Davis.

Like his brother, Daniel Depp was born in Kentucky.

He read classics at university and, after various jobs, he set up a production company called Scaramanga in Hollywood with Johnny.

The pair worked on the film The Brave in 1997, in which Johnny starred with Marlon Brando.

Daniel drew on his experiences making the film to create Loser's Town.